Monthly Archives: December 2012

According to the Oxford Dictionary, passion means a strong and barely controllable emotion, as well as, an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

I believe that we all have at least one talent- that one or more things we can do exceptionally well than others- our talents are our strengths. I also believe that we have talents that ignite that intense desire, the ones I call “passion talents,” and those are the ones we should maximize the use and potential of.

We can either turn our “passion talents” into profit-making or charity ventures or even a hobby! Wouldn’t you rather do that than be stuck doing something that makes you miserable?

I have learnt that the more I do things I am passionate about, is the more happiness I foster in my life. I have started to focus more on the things I love to do. It is not a new concept, but it has been reiterated on numerous occasions by entrepreneurs, motivational speakers, and life coaches. Business mogul, Richard Branson, in his article “Richard Branson’s 5 Rules for Good Business” listed rule number one as “If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. You must love what you do.” I think we should follow a similar principle in most aspects of our lives, not just pertaining to business, thereby improving the overall quality of life.

What better time to make a positive change than the beginning of a year – add it to your new year’s resolution list- love what you do by utilizing your passion talents!

Like this:

Firstly, I want to apologize for not writing to you last week. I was travelling/ moving/ resettling and was unable to make a post. But, I am back and will resume regular Sunday posts!

Here’s this week’s post:

Have you ever stopped to wonder what if the words you say or write to a relative, friend, colleague, or even a stranger, were the last they would ever hear or see?Maybe we should.

There’s a saying “you can’t take back your words”- and I think it is very true. We can apologize for something negative that was expressed, after reflecting on it, but most likely that is after the damage has already been done. The person/ persons on the receiving end would have already been hurt or affected in some way and then has to recover or, depending on the individual’s personality or state of mind, may be emotionally scarred for life.

You see, we never really know what goes on in another person’s mind and we never really know how many threads are left on someone’s hope rope on life. We also never really know if what we say or write may be that one thing that pushes someone over the edge- even to return physical harm to us or others.

Psychologists say there are usually telltale signs of suicide. But, in my opinion, some of those signs may either be misunderstood by loved ones and unintentionally ignored or successfully disguised by the individual. Sometimes people suffer in silence or pretend for the world.

I also believe that those who are hurt or hurting should let it be known! We cannot depend on people to always interpret what we are feeling or want to say. We are the best spokespersons for our thoughts.

My philosophy is that we should use hugging words. Do you ever warmly embrace someone you do not like very much or someone who might deliberately harm you? If your answer is no, then, like me, you would simply not hug the person. Therefore, you don’t have to articulate anything to someone you dislike or who is aggressive. Likewise, if you had on a bodysuit covered with a harmful substance, would you hug the people you love in it or wait until you are able to remove it before proceeding with your hug? If the latter is your response, then so should we use our words- wait until they’re huggable to givethem.

No one is perfect and I am not saying our words will always be nice ones, but instead, that we should try to think about what we say or write before we express them. A negative comment can still be huggable, depending on how it is phrased. It will never be possible to always premeditate our expressions, but the more hurt we spare others is the less time we spend in remorse.

I have learnt that life is too short to have a trail of regrets, as we cannot turn back the hands of time- we should say what we mean and mean what we do.

You know those days, weeks, months, or even years when things are going almost perfect and achieving your goals seems like the norm and you feel unstoppable?

Yep! I have had those too.

It is so easy to get caught up with success or what’s going good in your life, so much that you can forget to do little things, like keeping in touch with friends and relatives who may not be central to those highs.

I have had a few times in my life where I am so busy “doing me” that life seems to be going so fast and there’s not enough time to do the little things. But then, a little voice inside is always constantly gently reminding me that there is enough time! I call it “the whisper of humility.” It is the conscience that reminds us of our imperfections- that we are not doing good by forgetting to do the little things. Everyone gets the same 24 hours each day, 7 days a week, and 365/366 days each year. Therefore, it is really up to each individual what they choose to do with those hours/ days/ years- not rocket science. Sometimes it will be genuinely impossible, but what is crucial, is that we try.

I try to live by the mantra “never forget where you are coming from” or who supported you to realize your dreams. It takes someone who knows and appreciates humility to be truly grounded when they are on the highs of life. That simple quality may be the single most important thing to help you get through the down times.

I have learnt that there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance- so close that people can misinterpret someone’s confidence for arrogance. Consequently, I found that it is important to maintain awareness of my ego and keep it in check. A little self- reflection every now and again doesn’t hurt.

Life is too short not to say and do what you truly mean- achieve the things you want in life but don’t forget to say thanks to those who helped in some way. Live confidently but humbly and never ignore the whisper of humility!